gardner



@nitric tete-5 getint @frn Letters Patent No. 74,907, dated February 25, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT INMAUFAGTURB OF SOLID-STEELKNIYES.

elle stlginule referrer tu it there ttrit met mit uniting met tige time,

To ALL WHOM IT MAY GONCRN':

. Be it known thatI, J. W; GARDNER, of Shelburne Falls, in theeounty of`Franklin, and State of Messachusetts, have invented certain nervand useful `Imlzvrovements in the Manufacture of Solid-Steel Knives from Steel; and I'do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the vmanner of making the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, which represents one of the knives iin question.

My invention consists in making a. solid wrought-steel knife or fork in one piece, and with ai skeleton handle, for the sake of lightness, neatness, and cleanliness, as well as for'tboeconomy of the manufacture.A

To enable others skilled in the art to make the knife in question, I will proceed to describe the mode I have successfully practised. i

' A piece of steel of suitable size neving been prepared, the handle portionA of the knife to be produced from it is first swaged between dies under a trip-hammer, and then strnckup between other dies under a. drophammer, which leaves a. thin ilm of metal inthe centre or hollow portion, '13, surrounded by a thicker margin,Y C, which, after Vthe film is cut out in n press, becomes the handle of the knife,

The blade D is forged from the square piece of steel, of suitable size, by being drawn out under a. triphamiher toa, proper lwidth und length, and then cut `and trimmed'olf. The blade is then plated or flattened to suitable taper and thicknessnnder trip-hanlmer dies, and afterwards cut into the proper shape bya. die-press or dies, and then hardened and tempered. `The knife is now ready to be ground and polished, and, if desired; it may be` silver-plated in the usual way.

. The operation as herein set forth may be reversed; that is, the blade D maybe first shaped, andafterivnrds the handlevA, the whole being made yout of one and the sume piece of metal, so as to be what is termed a. solid. knife; and, though I have described only a. table-knnife as so made, a fork to match it, with skeleton handle,

may be similarly'made; and I claim both knife and fork, when so made, with a. skeleton handle, and out of'onel The advantages of sucliknives and forks are economy bf construction, strength, durability, lightness, and, at thesame time, balanced, andthe' readiness with which each .and every part may be cleansed and wiped, 4leaving no place orpart'vhere corrosion can take place. v I v I am nwaretliat a solid-steelknife, such as an oyster-knife, has been'wrought out of steel, and that a. solid knife has beenV enst out of iron and case-hardened.; but in neither of these cases has the handle been made in skeleton,` that-is, with a rimalone, thecentre portion within the rim being cut or left out, so as to 4be light and readily cleansed.V v

Hqfving ltliusfnlly"described my invention, what I' claim ns anew. article of manufacture, is

A solid wroiight-steel knifeor fork, with a skeleton or open'hnndle, and formed out of one piece of meta-l,-

substantially as described. f l

, J. W. GARDNER.

Witnesses vSAlnL 'lf'.r'FrELn, o

F. A. BAILI.. 

